BENHADAD (ben'ha'dad), (Heb. ben had-ad, son of Hadad), the name of three kings of Damascene-Syria. As to the latter part of this name, Hadad, there is little doubt that it is the name of the Syrian god, Adad.
1. The king of Syria, who was subsidized by Asa, king of Judah, to invade Israel and thereby compel Baasha (who had invaded Judah) to re turn to defend his own kingdom (1 Kings xv :18 20 ; 2 Chron. xvi :2-4), B. C. 907. (See AsA.) This Ben-hadad has, with some reason, been sup posed to be Hadad the Edomite who rebelled against Solomon (t Kings xi :21).
2. King of Syria, son of the preceding. His earlier history is much involved in that of Ahab, with whom he was constantly at war. (See AHAB.) He owed the signal defeat in which that war terminated to the vain notion which as similated Jehovah to the local deities worshiped by the nations of Syria, deeming Him 'a God of the hills,' but impotent to defend his votaries in 'the plains' (1 Kings xx :1-3o). Instead of pur suing his victory Ahab concluded a peace with the defeated Benhadad (B. C. got-goo), which was observed for about twelve years, when the Syrian king declared war against Jehoram, the son of Ahab, and invaded Israel ; but all his plans and operations were frustrated, being made known Jehoram by the prophet Elisha (2 Kings vi :8, ad fin.), B. C. 893. After some years, however, he renewed the war, and besieged Jehoram in his capital, Samaria, until the inhabitants were re duced to the last extremities and most revolting resources by famine. The siege was then unex
pectedly raised, according to a prediction of Elisha, through a panic infused into the besieg ers, who, concluding that a noise which they seemed to hear portended the advance upon them of a foreign host procured by Jehoram, thought only of saving themselves by flight. The next year Benhadad, learning that Elisha, through whom so many of his designs had been brought to nought, had arrived at Damascus, sent an offi cer of distinction named Hazael with presents to consult him as to his recovery from an illness under which he then suffered. The prophet an swered that his disease was not mortal, but that he would nevertheless die. This was accom plished a few days after by this very Hazael, who smothered the sick monarch in his bed and mounted the throne in his stead, B. C. 894 (2 Kings viii :7-15). (See ELISHA ; HAZAEL ; JEH 3. King of Syria, son of the Hazael just men tioned (B. C. 835). He was thrice defeated by Jehoash, king of Israel, who recovered from him all the territpries beyond the Jordan which Ha zael had rent from the dominion of Israel (2 Kings xiii :3, 24, 25).